2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.  The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

WooHoo!  Yay, it’s a new day and a new year full of potential!  So, what are you going to do with this fresh slate before you?  It’s funny how we all feel this way at the beginning of a new year even though God offers us a new day and new beginning when we come to Him and confess our sins and ask Him to be the Lord of our life and on top of that His Word tells us that His mercies are new every morning!  But, for today, since it is the start of the New Year, let’s ask ourselves what we are going to do with it.  

So many people make resolutions to lose weight or exercise, what have you decided you can do better this year?  What are you praying for God to do in your life this year or the lives of those you love?  I have decided to continue to revamp the way I eat ~ again and to start exercising!  I am tired of being tired and dealing with viruses and parasites and I just want to feel good again! I am going to change the way I eat now, so I can be as healthy as possible instead of waiting for some major illness to come along! I have some great recipes that are healthful and taste good, I just need to pull them back out.  I have tried some recipes in the past that Abby and I ended up just throwing out because they may have been healthful, but they were gross! When I was a kid one of the sayings we were taught about our minds was, “Garbage in garbage out!”  That is true for your mind and your body and both should be observed!  I want to be healthy so I can be used by God to the fullest extent that He created me for!  Illness is rampant, but what do we eat?  I am not changing how I eat to lose weight, I am doing it so  I can be the best I can be for Him!

What changes can you make in your life for God to use you on a whole new level?  Are there things you are watching on TV or reading that maybe need to go? Those things may seem small but so many shows and books can create open doors for satan to attack you and your family.  Is there a change in how you use your time that needs fixing?  Would you benefit from getting more disciplined in what you eat?  Do you drink enough water every day?  That’s usually a simple one to fix and you will be amazed at the difference in how you feel and your energy level ~ take your weight, divide it in half, and use that number to determine how many ounces you need a day.  (Example:  If you weigh 120 pounds, you need to drink 60 ounces of water a day!)  Are you spending time in His word regularly, as in every day, not once a week?  Do you need to get more organized? There’s a great book to help with getting organized titled, “Messy No More”

Take advantage of the day, and take some inventory to see what changes you can make in your lifestyle to be all you can be!  Don’t overwhelm yourself, trying to do it all, but be reasonable in your expectations. The first thing to do is set your priorities and keep spending time with God at the top of your list! If you have a lot of changes that you want to make pick one thing and start by taking just one small step each day in the direction you need to go. There are a couple of ways to decide where to begin if there are several things you want to change this year. One way is to get that biggest change out of the way first to give yourself encouragement once you succeed, but remember that one will also probably take the longest to change. Or you can start with the easiest so your list begins to shrink even faster. If you want to eat for better health, you could start by just eliminating sodas and sugary desserts.  If you have never really read your Bible, start reading a verse a day and maybe begin in Psalms.  Pray and ask God to show you what you should change and for the strength to be steadfast in your decision, knowing that with His help you will not only succeed in making necesssary changes but you will be better equipped to serve Him!